Liana enjoys drinking. But she’s not one to get easily drunk. Therefore, she guzzles down large quantities just to feel tipsy.
It’s true that she loves alcohol, but she wouldn’t be labeled an alcoholic.
Moreover, she ranks among the top heroes, having amassed an incredible fortune over the years by battling on the African frontlines.
Oh, but what’s the use? Drinking a couple of million won worth of alcohol barely leaves a mark!
“Hahaha…!”
This leads to her chugging a ton and getting half-drunk.
Her face is bright red. It’s like a big sign flashing, “I’ve been drinking!”
Her lips are curling into a silly grin. Usually, she manages her image with a kind smile, but now she looks like a giddy fool.
“Hey, take a shot! The Water Droplets of Weiricilla — it’s one of my top 10 favorite drinks!”
Liana offered a glass filled with a blue liquid. Sitting next to her is Atra, looking rather pale as she soothingly sips warm milk.
“No thanks. You drink it.”
“C’mon! You came all this way for just a few shots? Even if our dear Atra can’t handle her liquor, that’s a bit…”
“Shut it and drink it yourself.”
Liana chuckled at Atra’s somewhat cold response. Did she find it ridiculous that Atra was faking her usual sweet demeanor just to manage her image?
‘Kick, she loses.’
Atra’s expression is also flushed, trying to play it cool, but it’s clear she’s a lightweight.
The evidence? Her tone has totally shifted.
“No,” “Yeah,” “I don’t wanna…” The stiff speech has softened into something way more casual.
In short, her true feelings were beginning to spill out. That was the plan. Atra is so rigid that unless she’s loosened up with some drinks, she’d just keep parrot-talking formal replies behind her strange mask.
“Hey, Lee Ha-yul, aren’t you being too rough on him?”
The atmosphere had thickened. It was time to get to the main point. Atra’s hand suddenly froze.
“Can’t you be a little nicer? Is there really a need to pressure him so much?”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Atra frowned deeply. She slammed the cup of warm milk on the table.
“Nicer? Pressuring? Damn, do I look like I have the luxury for that?”
“Hmm…”
Liana made a perplexed face. She was merely poking before getting to the crux of the matter, but this reaction was a bit too much.
She rolled her eyes and spoke up.
“…I know the situation isn’t great.”
Lee Ha-yul is a special entrance student. The first ever to enroll through the special measures program in Shio-ram.
If you asked about the backgrounds of the top heroes, eight or nine out of ten would be from the cradle.
That’s how outrageous the blessings of growth given by the cradle are, and Shio-ram is an unparalleled institution for cultivating superhumans.
Since there’s no one to compare with, they earnestly wish for a diverse range of talented individuals to enter Shio-ram. It’s a sort of virtuous cycle.
And here Atra is dealing with the very first one.
Naturally, this piques interest. But it’s a problem because it doesn’t come just with good vibes.
“What the hell is that crazy president thinking…”
Atra clutched her throbbing head. Just thinking about it again made her dizzy.
Good interest… Just how much potential does Lee Ha-yul have that the president appointed him as a special entrance student? Could we attract him to our side later? It would be great if he could join the upcoming monster purification operation…
Bad interest… Just what the heck is the president thinking by admitting him as a special entrance student?
Let’s cut the bud before it blooms.
Since the great upheaval 200 years ago, the world has undergone countless changes, but humanity remains unchanged as long as emotions and desires exist.
In short, there are always scoundrels that cannot be judged by average moral standards in any space or time.
Atra has received help from the past president. It wasn’t life-saving help, but it was enough to be considered a debt.
Of course, that was only through the vice president.
Anyway, using that debt as a pretext, the president requested Atra to teach the special entrance student.
The problem is, there hasn’t been any further instructions since. That’s it. Suddenly, the vice president showed up in an internal Shio-ram meeting and casually announced, “We’ve selected a special entrance student,” and that was it.
“For fuck’s sake, shouldn’t there be something more to do?”
Is it just grab-and-go with no further actions?
At the very least, there should be reasons for selecting him as a special entrance. Since I brought him in, you should treat him well. I expect you to train him well. He’s under my protection, so if you mess with him, you’re done for… all that should be stated, right?
Why isn’t there more action? That pathetic response raised a lot of stress and questions for Atra.
Everyone knows the president has practically stopped all activities for decades. It’s the vice president who runs the show inside Shio-ram.
According to the vice president, the president has the final say, and he’s merely following orders, but the president has been absent for decades in official and unofficial matters.
After decades, he broke his silence. The vice president directly claimed that “the president made this choice after much thought,” and that’s how they selected the special entrance student.
Done.
That ambiguous action left people with various doubts.
Additionally, it drew some undesirable attention.
Internally within Shio-ram, it’s okay. Even if the Tower of Growth remains silent, the president is here.
In more than a hundred years and twenty years of existence, Shio-ram has never allowed a single incursion to harm its students.
“Damn it…”
But outside? The president’s protection doesn’t extend that far. Examples are proof. The outside world is a harsh reality. Bad things happening outside can’t be handled.
When Lee Ha-yul is left alone outside, if he can’t solve things on his own, that’s it.
You can’t just stay by someone’s side forever. That’s not how life works.
What about a guard? What level of protection, and can that guard truly protect him in all situations? Beyond the capabilities of the guard, if dangers approach Lee Ha-yul’s throat and he can’t overcome them himself…
Atra gritted her teeth. With emotions spilling from the alcohol, it felt like she was on fire.
– Stop worrying! It’s not like he’s going alone; we’re going as a party! Can’t you trust me that much?
Annoying memories were resurfacing. It’s always like this when she’s with Lee Ha-yul.
Thus, she desperately sought to elevate her physical capabilities. At the very least, to ensure she could protect herself, no matter what mishap occurred.
From the second day, she gave him weapons and they had sparring sessions. For a currently active superhuman, the level of difficulty wasn’t particularly bad.
But for someone still just a first-year student… newly awakened Lee Ha-yul, it was a tough schedule.
Usually, students raise their basic physical levels first. It’s extremely inefficient to force techniques on a flimsy body.
First, they boost the body to superhuman specifications, then teach skills suitable for a superhuman.
Lee Ha-yul was different.
With the growth blessings provided from the start and the enhanced blessings from his special status, coupled with his sharply accelerating growth curve, he was suspiciously well-absorbed in the lessons.
From what Atra gathered, Lee Ha-yul possessed the potential to handle the schedule perfectly. He could elevate both his physical level and skills simultaneously. With time, she became even more certain of this.
“Um…”
Liana kept lamenting, and Atra noticed her reactions were far more intense than expected. It seemed she had a lot on her mind.
Liana also knew a bit about Atra’s past.
She once had a disciple. They met by chance. At that time, Atra was an advanced hero, and her disciple was an ordinary academy student.
Though Atra acted tough, she was rather soft inside. It wasn’t that her combat prowess didn’t shine; she had a tough exterior but was soft-hearted.
So it’s said she gave that disciple quite a bit of affection. Attempting to teach everything she could, even with clumsy methods as the first teacher.
If the disciple understood that affection, they followed Atra like a sister, living together like family.
─ There was such a disciple. Now, there is none.
“I don’t know what the president is thinking, but you need to get stronger as quickly as possible. If you dawdle thinking you have time… it’ll be irreversible.”
Lately, the situation has been strange. The number of monsters pouring from the monster realm steadily increases. More villains are running rampant outside, having fled to the monster realm. While not yet significant, the rate of dungeon generation is also rising.
It feels like something big is bound to happen soon. That atmosphere has been floating around recently.
“…and in such times, leisurely? Not a chance…”
Atra let herself slump heavily onto the table, as if the alcohol hit her suddenly, making her slur her words.
“I get it. You’re saying the situation is rough, so I need to get stronger, but… can’t you at least say something nice?”
Even if Atra looked tired, she said what she had to.
“Continuing this way might get you disliked by Lee Ha-yul. That wouldn’t be good for either of you, right? Wouldn’t it be better to explain the situation?”
As Liana patted Atra’s back, Atra shook her head.
Dislike? That’s ridiculous. In fact, it would be better for her.
There won’t be a second chance for a disciple. This current teaching is only a temporary assignment due to the president’s request.
She’d only give Lee Ha-yul enough training to survive—all else was none of her business.
“I don’t care. Let him hate me. That’s actually better for everyone…”
Watching Atra keep repeating the same lines like a broken record, Liana let out a long sigh.
‘Sigh.’
She understood. Atra didn’t want to get emotionally attached. There were past wounds and she didn’t want to get close; yet she didn’t want Lee Ha-yul to get swept up in something dangerous.
Given the situation, she’d drill him hard so he could grow as quickly as possible. Training is harsh, so grievances naturally focused towards her would rather align with her mindset.
“Being disliked is a hundred times better than dying…”
‘So blocked…’
There’s no answer here. For Liana, there was nowhere else to dig into this.
She sighed deeply.
*
The following day.
As she welcomed the late morning, Atra opened her mouth, gazing at the sunlight streaming in through the curtain.
“Shit…”
For a top-tier superhuman, getting drunk is difficult. While there are drinks suitable for superhumans, those like Atra, who have evolved their bodies to the extreme, find it hard to get drunk.
If she accepts the alcohol herself, she can get pretty tipsy. That happened the day before. An emotional stir led her to accept quite a bit of intoxication.
People can sometimes drink too much and forget their memories by the following day. But not Atra. All of yesterday’s memories remained crystal clear.
Today’s a damn miserable morning. Atra felt like spitting, so she pulled herself up.
Atra lives in a house within Shio-ram. This applies to most professors as well.
While she tidied her outfit, the scent of alcohol lingering on her entire body made her grimace. Just how much had she drunk yesterday?
She stepped onto the veranda leading to the second-floor bedroom. Taking a deep breath, fresh morning air filled her lungs.
While she felt better, the memories of yesterday resurfaced, causing her mood to sour again.
– Sizzle.
“Phew…”
Thus, she reached for a cigarette she hadn’t touched in a while. She used to carry it around, but somehow she’d grown tired of it and it had been thrown aside.
Now, driven by impulsiveness, she picked it up again. After lighting one, the thick smoke filled her chest with a perspective both sharp and refreshing.
Made from herbs with excellent calming effects, it’s Atra’s go-to product.
Suddenly recalling the date, she checked her smartwatch.
[ Tuesday AM 10:32 ]
Tuesday. The day that first-year students return from dungeon practice.
“……”
With a complicated expression, Atra glanced at the time. Starting tomorrow, she had to resume training Lee Ha-yul.
She changed into comfortable clothes and stepped out of the house. Feeling gloomy, she wanted to at least move her body.
With a good pace… Given her physical level, she covered the grounds at a brisk speed. Before long, she spotted the training facility in the distance.
And a little male student alongside it.
‘Oh.’
Wearing Shio-ram’s uniform over a robe, with a big backpack on his back, and a couple of daggers and several pouches hanging from his waist.
Those were the equipment Atra had prepared for him. It was allowed to carry that level of gear for dungeon training, even if the Tower of Growth was a different story.
And the magical staff hanging next to the backpack somehow looked silly, but thanks to the owner’s appearance, it seemed more cute than ridiculous.
Had he already come out of the dungeon?
“……”
Atra moved towards the training facility, a complex look on her face, heading towards Lee Ha-yul, who was right in front of the entrance.
She briefly thought about turning around but decided against it since it seemed ridiculous to backtrack just because he was in the way.
– Thud, thud.
At some point, Lee Ha-yul turned his head toward her. Atra raised an eyebrow at his reaction.
‘Distance…’
It had increased. The remaining distance was nearly 300 meters away. Yet, he sensed her. He was always keen on avoiding her presence.
‘…His sensing abilities have grown.’
That growth was remarkable. On the first day of class, she could barely register his presence even up close, but now he reacts from this distance.
Of course, she hadn’t suppressed her presence as much as before, but still, it was a remarkable improvement.
She felt a mix of pride and something hard to describe.
As the distance shrank, Lee Ha-yul did too. Since they met, he seemed inclined to greet her.
“Is your schedule all wrapped up?”
Atra formally opened the conversation. The distance was quite narrow. Lee Ha-yul fiddled with his smartwatch.
No, he was trying to. His hand, which had been about to move, suddenly froze. His legs that had been walking came to a stop.
“Hmm?”
Lee Ha-yul stood motionless. After a moment, his head tilted slightly, looking puzzled.
– …Sniff, sniff.
His nose twitched. The moment it did, his body jerked slightly.
‘What’s this?’
An unexplained reaction.
But undeniably, it wasn’t as passionate as the actions that followed.
Lee Ha-yul didn’t mutter a word of complaint about the harsh training.
He didn’t ask any reasons. He didn’t question what this schedule was about. He didn’t show any resentments towards Atra, who usually responded coldly.
Even when she had forgotten to offer him water previous time due to deep thought, he didn’t fuss about it.
Despite feeling a bit frustrated, he obediently followed along, seemingly trusting Atra.
Then, unexpectedly, Lee Ha-yul scrunched up his face in disgust and took a step back. A clear expression of revulsion washed over him. It was as if he was trying to distance himself from something filthy.
– Thud!
“……”
It felt like a huge stone had hit her. Atra’s eyes widened in shock.
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